Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked declares the Sovereign LORD? Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23) God takes no pleasure in enforcing the wages for sin – death. And the death of the sinner settles all wrongs. But in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus God demonstrated his love as only a loving omnipotent Father can do. He reveals the rest of the story, the resurrection of the sinful child to make him brand new! “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body….just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man…for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensib...

“We have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God”. (2 Corinthians 4:2) Have you ever heard someone complain that “the preacher is just preaching what people want to hear”? Generally it is when the preacher is focusing too much on the love and grace of God and not enough on “hell fire and brimstone”.  Really? Now exactly how can someone overemphasize the love and grace of an omnipotent God who is characterized over and over as a FATHER - full of love, grace and mercy? “The LORD'S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning…Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever...I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor...

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:20-21) "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19) Before his incarnation, Jesus the Son was in a position to see and know what our Father God wills and does, and what he saw his Father God do Jesus does in like manner. And what was that? “He will SAVE his people from their sins” . Christian and Muslim apologists would contend that only those who join their particular group are “his people” , thus creating a separation among mankind which history shows to result in war. However, God intends to "save His people from their sins" …and all people are "His people" as Paul tells...